


Savageries of the Heart

by LorelyLantana



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Aftercare, Arranged Marriage, Both of Zelda's parents are dead now, Conspiracies are more fun on the inside, Danger noodles, F/M, Fractured Hyrule, Hyrule doesn't have access to Ancient Sheikah Tech so Zelda's stuck making elixirs, Implied Regicide, Political Intrigue, Temporary Language Barrier, Vaginal Sex, Zonai people are thriving, handjob, post coital soreness, pre calamity
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-12
Updated: 2020-12-21
Packaged: 2021-03-09 18:33:35
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 17,699
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27530815
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LorelyLantana/pseuds/LorelyLantana
Summary: The kingdom of Hyrule never fully recovered when the banishment of the Sheikah prompted the departure of the other tribes. An age later Princess Zelda's uncle marries her into the Zonai people in an attempt to recover some of Hyrule's lost military power and safeguard against turbulent times. It's only after vows are exchanged that she finds out why this union was so crucial to the Zonai.
Relationships: Link/Zelda (Legend of Zelda)
Comments: 219
Kudos: 411





	1. Courtship

Zelda always hesitated outside of the King Daphnes’ door. Bracing herself for the twinge of disappointment that always came when she entered the room to find her father’s chair occupied by her uncle, she straightened her spine and stepped into the room with a schooled expression and a head held high.

“You called for me, your Majesty?” she asked, folding her hands in front of her abdomen as she stood in front of his desk. He didn’t acknowledge her for a moment, signing off one last document before looking up at her with a radiant smile that sent a chill down Zelda’s spine.

“Excellent news, my darling Zelda, I’ve found a husband for you.”

She sucked in a breath, “My husband?”

“Yes, my dear, at long last you're getting married! It was a challenge, mind you, but I’ve arranged for you to marry quite the accomplished Zonai warrior.”

She was speechless. As the first born of the royal family, Zelda harbored no false hopes of marrying for love, but she had at least hoped to stay within Hyrule’s borders, where she could at the very least continue her research. 

“The temple will never allow it,” she insisted with a voice that shook in tandem with her beating heart. The smile on his face spread wider, though his eyes grew colder.

“The temple has always put too much stock on a bloodline bedtime story. Your mother was a gifted mage, but if present company is anything to go by,” he stood to walk around his desk and loom over her, “it was hardly a divine inheritance.”

“Zonai authority is established through combat prowess,” Zelda pointed out, “I fail to see why they would be interested in marrying me for my blood.”

“It doesn’t matter why they want you!” he snapped, the pleasant veneer of politeness cracking. He took a breath before placing heavy hands on Zelda’s shoulders, forcing them down into a slouch.

“What you don’t understand, Zelda dearest,” the King pushed through his teeth, “Is that we are vulnerable. Our military has been in shambles for an age, and ever since that wretched coup we have been surrounded by factions that refuse to fall in line. With the Zonai on our side, those other races will think twice before moving against us.”

In the ten thousand years since the continent was fractured there was never one incident that pointed to ambitions of conquest from any of the other five nations, but that didn’t matter to Zelda’s uncle, who had moved to a map of the continent. He stood in front of the east portion of the map, where the Akkala, Faron, and Necluda regions were painted Zonai green. 

“My fool of a brother didn’t see the threats, but I do,” he whispered, frowning. He spun around to face her once again, “All you need to know, sweet Zelda, is that in a month’s time you will cross the Bridge of Hylia and make your home in the quaint woodlands that were once a part of our great nation.”

Zelda opened her mouth to protest, but he cut her off.

“Everyone wins!” he proclaimed, “We get the support of the largest nation on the continent, and at long last you can finally do something to help your country. As princess.”

Zelda sighed at her defeat, “I don’t know their language.”

“A month should give you a decent enough head start,” he insisted, sweeping a hand towards the door, “I suggest you get started.”

Zelda rushed out the door, desperate for a moment to process. Her plan was momentarily foiled by the arrival of Nohansen. The young prince was an unfortunate reflection of his father made all the clearer by his sinister smile.

“Ah! Have you heard the news, dear cousin? You must be ecstatic! The biggest day in any young woman’s life is her wedding day, and yours is a mere thirty days away!” 

“I fail to see how we’re to organize a royal wedding in one month,” Zelda muttered. Nohansen’s smile sank into a smirk. He ruffled her hair, knocking her tiara off in the process. 

“Oh, the wedding won’t be held here” he laughed, twirling the gold in his hands, “Of course not, we can’t have those barbarians running around our castle now, can we?”

Zelda took a breath to speak-

“No,” he said, holding up a finger to stifle whatever she was about to say, “We will be taking _you_ to _them_. Your glorious wedding shall take place deep in the savage Zonai wilds. They even have a little spring said to be protected by a goddess. Does that not please you, O Daughter of Hylia?” he ended with a sneer.

Zelda snatched her crown back, the gold biting against her grip as she pushed passed him to rush through hallways stained burgundy with banners bearing her uncle’s crest to climb her tower, rushing up stairs and crossing the bridge to her study, the most remote room in the entirety of Hyrule Castle. She slammed the door and locked it before kicking off her shoes and climbing her desk to open the window high above it. She lifted her face to the breeze that rushed in. It was here, away from prying eyes, that she could truly relish in fresh air. She stood there a moment to relish the stillness before lowering herself to the floor and taking a seat in front of her carefully cultivated collection of samples of Hyrule’s most elusive flower, the Silent Princess. Despite her best efforts, she couldn’t get one to sprout within the confines of her study. 

Her study was cluttered with several clay pots hosting their own samples. Stalks of Safflina and flowering Blue Nightshade gently glowing against the shadows. She also had several vials full of elixirs her uncle refused to consider implementing into the kingdom’s resources, citing a lack of reports backing her claims. Of course, any reports written by Zelda herself were disqualified because of a conflict of interest.

That didn’t mean her work went unnoticed. Zelda had built quite a rapport with servants and soldiers alike when she managed to concoct a working contraceptive elixir with ingredients common enough to distribute. From that point on Zelda became an unofficial medic to the people of Castle Town. Those employed at the castle had full access to the infirmary, but the same could not be said for their families. Since her activity outside the castle was heavily restricted most of her specimens were given to her by grateful family members who consulted her.

She was reviewing her notes on the Silent Princess when a knock at the door brought tension to her shoulders.

“What is it?” she asked, wary of her cousin coming in to gloat once again.

“You’ve been invited to dinner by his Majesty King Daphnes, he requests you come down immediately.”

“I’ll be right there,” she huffed, fixing the golden band on her head and straightened her hair before making her way down to the dining hall. To her aggravation, everyone had already been seated and turned to look at her as she walked in. Another one of her uncle’s tricks.

She sat at the last open seat at the head of the table. Her uncle intended to make a spectacle of her in some way, but she didn’t find out exactly how until dessert was served and the King knocked a spoon against his glass to call for the attention of the other nobles in attendance.

“It is my tremendous pleasure to inform you all as of today that our lovely Crown Princess,” he waved to a servant, who brought over a package “is officially engaged to be married!”

There was a round of polite applause before King Daphnes cleared his throat, continuing after they quieted down. The attendant placed a solid wooden box in front of Zelda after a maid cleared her unfinished cake away.

“In honor of this momentous agreement the groom in question was so kind as to send a gift to his beautiful bride to be and I thought it only right to share this celebration with you all by letting you bear witness to the first gift between our dear Zelda and her fiance!” the King turned to her then, laying another heavy hand on her shoulder.

“Don’t be shy now. Open it.”

At first glance Zelda thought the box itself was the gift. It was finely crafted, polished wood with a reddish tinge that she hadn’t seen before, and the various symbols and runes carved into it had her itching to go to the library. Zelda lifted the lid and reached in, pulling out a knife crafted by some creature’s polished jaw bone.

The room burst out in raucous laughter.

“My word!” a woman’s voice yelled, “I knew they were backwards, but to think they would present a young lady with the remains of some beast!”

“Well of course,” cried another, “If they couldn’t fashion a proper metal blade, what hope could they have of crafting jewelry?”

Zelda fingered the spiral carved into the lid’s center as she considered pointing out that the handle was made from silver wrapped in silk, but she doubted it would make a difference.

“Well she can always wear it about her neck if she wants to show off her engagement!” Prince Nohansen laughed.

Zelda did not wear the knife around her neck, but she did take to wearing it on a sash tied at her waist. The morning after the engagement was announced Zelda descended to the lower floors of the castle to reach the laboratory. Diplomatic relations between Hyrule and Zonai were nonexistent, but there was one researcher that spent a fair amount of time in Faron to study some of the plants there, and Zelda had gotten quite acquainted with him upon his return to the castle.

“Owlan!” she called, a smile growing on her face as the old man came into view, working diligently on documenting the fruits of his research.

“Come to glean Zonai secrets, your Highness?” he asked with a raised brow and his ever present gentle smile.

“You’ve heard the news then?” she asked. 

“There’s not a soul in this castle who hasn’t. It’s the talk of the town,” he closed the book he was writing in and turned to face her, “Would you like a tutor in their language?”

“I would, but that’s not the only reason I’m here,” Zelda set the box she’d received the night before on his workspace, “What do you make of this?”

He took the box in his hand, giving the intricately carved lid, “If nothing else, you know that he’s a gifted carpenter.”

“You think he made the box himself?”

“Rather than a ring, Zonai engagements are marked with a dagger. Typically the suitor in question will present said blade with a personal touch. A seamstress would wrap it in a sash for her beloved, a gardener might send flowers along with the blade itself, and your betrothed,” he tapped the box lid, “sent a carved box. Would you mind terribly if I took a look at the knife in question?”

“Go ahead,” she said, taking an empty seat beside him. She turned back to him holding the knife in question with a frown.

“What is it?” she asked.

“It’s common for particularly capable warriors in the Zonai nation to slay a beast and have a bone fashioned into the blade. It’s a way of showing off, you see,” Owlan said with a mischievous smile, “but I can’t tell what creature it’s from.”

Zelda took the dagger in her own hands, running a ringer across the large fang at the point. Now that she had a closer look, she could see etchings on the bone as well, depicting a long horned serpent curling under the teeth.

“What should I send back?”

“I’m sure a reciprocal blade would be appreciated,” he said, a twinkle in his eye.

Zelda left shortly after to visit the blacksmith to have a dagger commissioned before heading to the library. After consulting a librarian she had several books on the Zonai language sent to her room while she perused the shelves until she came across the tome she was looking for.

The Hylian Bestiary was one of the oldest books in the castle’s collection, the original copy was written back when the kingdom encompassed the entire continent. She hefted the book onto one of the empty tables and flipped through the illustrations of beasts both alive and of their remains. She rested her head on her fist, nearing the end of the section and still at a loss. She turned a page, a little discouraged until she scanned it’s contents.

There wasn’t much information on this beast, apart from reports of different colors and different regions it had been spotted in. There wasn’t a live illustration either, but there was a careful sketch of a skull. Zelda opened her box and took out the dagger just to be sure. She held it up to the page.

Her fiance had sent her a Lynel’s jaw.

If his intent was to impress, he’d certainly succeeded. She had never seen one herself, but there had been occasions where her uncle had dispatched knights to slay one that had wandered a bit too close to hylian villages. It was one of the few times the King would approve of Zelda’s assistance of the medical staff, because they always needed extra hands afterwards. Zelda returned the book to its shelf and entered her study. The books she’d asked for were stacked on her desk, but she bypassed them for her cabinet of finished elixirs. She opened the doors and considered, wondering which one she should send to her betrothed. She considered a poison she’d extracted to coat the dagger in, but decided against it. With the language barrier as high as it was, she didn’t want to risk him drinking it. She ended up making a defensive concoction that would give him an extra layer of protection, which he might need if he made a habit of facing Lynels. 

She was called down to the blacksmith’s a few hours later to approve of their handiwork. The blade was serrated, as she’s requested, and a fair bit longer than the knife around her waist, but she gave her approval and had it shipped off with her elixir to her fiance before returning to her study and reading through the basics of the Zonai language. 

A week after she sent her own engagement dagger she had received another gift from her fiance. Unlike the first, this gift was contained within a basket. Zelda had the good fortune to intercept the servant on the way to deliver her gift to her uncle. The maid in question was a regular consumer of one of her contraceptives, so it didn’t take much convincing before she was walking back to her room with the basket tucked under one arm. She sat on her bed, and somewhat excitedly opened the lid of the basket-

And slammed it back down again. She stared at the basket as though it might combust for a moment, heart slamming against her ribcage. Not wanting to jump to any conclusions, Zelda gingerly picked up the basket and placed it on her desk, and once she put a few paper weights over the lid, paid Owlan a visit.

“Good afternoon your Highness! Are your studies going well?” he asked, looking up from the medication he was crafting.

“How do the Zonai feel about snakes?” she asked by way of greeting.

“Well I would say they’re quite fond of the little creatures,” Owlan explained, “Snakes in general are held in high regard due to their resemblance to one of their guardian deities. The Faron Python in particular is a common pet.”

“A snake is a common pet?”

“Contrary to popular belief, they can be quite friendly. The Faron Python is known for being affectionate and gentle, that coupled with their penchant to hunt pests earned them a spot in many a Zonai household.”

Zelda found herself in the library once again looking for answers regarding the nature of an engagement, and returned to her room with an illustrated guide to Faron Pythons and their care. Once she was once again seated on her bed with the basket placed in front of her. She made sure to turn to the page to a diagram of the snake’s physical characteristics to make sure she could verify her suspicion. Not wanting to spook the creature, she took the lid off slowly, giving the snake a moment to adjust to the light of her room before taking a closer look.

The serpent itself was shockingly beautiful, bright white scales with splashes of blue along its body that looked almost translucent reflecting the light filtering through her windows. After a few tense moments, Zelda carefully reached in the basket. The serpent didn’t shy away, so she felt secure enough to tuck her hand underneath a section of its body to gently lift it. First it was only a few inches, giving the sweet creature a chance to escape, but it only curled around her hand in an embrace that felt softer then it looked. The snake slowly turned to look at her. A tongue flicked out of an upturned mouth, and Zelda was lost.

From that day forward, it was common to see the Crown Princess of Hyrule walking through the castle with a serpent coiled around her neck. She liked the reaction her new friend had on those around her, even her uncle and cousin seemed to give her a wide berth whenever they caught sight of the python leisurely draped around her shoulders. She never mentioned the snake’s name because she liked the watchful respect she acquired and refused to undermine it by advertising that the intimidating serpent’s name was Noodle. 

With this new edge to her authority Zelda made doubly sure that any gifts from her mysterious groom came directly to her hands. The benefits to this policy were two fold, the first being insurance that her uncle wouldn’t make a further mockery of her engagement or perhaps keep the gift if he took a liking to it. The second was the prevention of any diplomatic incidents. As much as she loved Noodle, Zelda was well aware that a snake in a basket could be interpreted as an assassination attempt. 

As thanks for her new friend, Zelda sent one of her old journals she thought had a thorough description of how she made some of her earlier, more basic elixirs. She knew there was a chance he might not understand Hylian, but she thought it would be a good way to get to know her. She had tried translating the recipes, but gave up after the first few and sent the incomplete list rather than spend her remaining month translating a single journal. Her Zonai vocabulary was primarily conversational and sadly didn’t include scientific vernacular.

She must have gotten her point across, however, as just a week later she was delighted to find a few vials full of her fiance’s attempts to recreate her recipes. 

Zelda was also surprised, quite a feat after Noodle’s auspicious arrival, to find a Silent Princess pressed into glass. At first she was perplexed, wondering if her fiance had simply ventured a lucky guess, but then she recalled the day she began researching the flower and attempting to foster it on her own was also the day she filled that journal, suggesting her fiance had read to the last page of her journal before preparing his third gift.

Her elation at this discovery was fueled by a torrent of relief. She had heard the stories of arranged marriages gone wrong. She had considered countless times in the past weeks that the gifts sent could be a ploy to gain her affections only to have such generosity evaporate as soon as the final wedding vow was spoken. Yet the Silent Princess in her hands whispered tales of a considerate husband, who took the time to read through all she had written and took the time to learn her interests. Deep in Zelda’s chest, she felt hope flicker, foolish as it might have been.


	2. Wedding of the Century

They call the Bridge of Hylia the last bastion of civilization before stepping foot into the wilds, and tomorrow, Zelda was going to cross it. Hylia River had served as Hyrule’s eastern border ever since the civil war split the country into six, and all bridges that connected Hyrule Field and the eastern regions were burned to ash.The week before her wedding day she set out for Faron accompanied by a small party of nobles deemed important enough to attend Princess Zelda’s destination wedding. That unfortunately included her uncle and cousin, but she was riding in a separate bridal carriage, which meant she only had to tolerate the minimum of their mockery. She wasn’t completely isolated, as she could converse with Owlan on the driver’s seat of her carriage. As the only fluent speaker of the Zonai language, Owlan was deemed a crucial member of her bridal party. She also made sure that Noodle didn’t leave her sight, as she didn’t quite trust her attendants to take care of her properly. Still, Zelda would be lying if she said she didn’t appreciate the exceedingly infrequent feeding times required of her beloved python.

The journey to the border took six days. Zelda could make the trip in a third of that time on her own, but all of the silks and silver needed to guild a bride in addition to the high living standards of the nobility in company meant a large caravan was required to make the trek.

The night before her wedding Zelda had a visitor sneak past the royal guard into her tent. An impressive feat, given her statuesque figure and shining jewelry. Zelda was sitting on her cot with her knees drawn to her chest, watching Noodle settle down in her basket for the night. Her hand rested over her journal, feeling obligated to record her last day as a maiden but feeling no urge to write.

“My how you’ve grown, my little bird.”

Zelda leaped from her cot and dashed across the room into the Gerudo chief’s embrace.

“Urbosa! Oh I’m so glad to see you! What are you doing here?” she asked, tears of joy leaking down her face. King Daphnes disapproved of any relations between Zelda and the Gerudo people. He thought it would give her ideas, so she hadn’t been able to meet with Urbosa since her parents died of illness three years ago.

“I thought I would wish you luck before the ceremony tomorrow,” Urbosa said in a hushed voice, “and perhaps put in a good word for your fiance.”

“You’ve met him? What’s he like? Can you tell me his name?” Zelda interrogated. King Daphnes spitefully claimed that there was no need to tell Zelda much other than her wedding date, and she sorely doubted he even knew the name of the man he was marrying her off to. In hindsight, considering his exceptionally low opinion of her future husband’s people, he likely wanted to make sure he didn’t scare her off.

“I don’t have much time I’m afraid, but I thought I should put any fears to rest,” Urbosa drew back to take Zelda’s hands in her own, “Link, the man you’re going to marry tomorrow, has a kind heart and a gentle hand, and handsome to boot,” she winked, “you’ve nothing to fear in your marriage bed, that I promise you.”

Zelda blushed as she felt that nagging worry she never fully banished dissipate, “Thank you, Urbosa, you have no idea how much it helps to know for sure.”

Urbosa smiled down as her before drawing away completely.

“I have to go now before they change the guard, I’ll be with you when you say your vows, that I promise.”

The next day began with a flurry of maids waking her up moments before dawn to prepare her for the ceremony that would take place at sunset. Zelda could see the top of the Bridge of Hylia peeking just over the hilltops from her tent. The stone bridge looming over Lake Hylia the only connection between the hylians and the Zonai primarily used as a marketplace for traveling merchants and a path for the rare diplomatic function. The Zonai envoy would arrive in the afternoon to provide an escort and directions to the Spring of Courage. As far as diplomatic functions went, it did not get off to a great start. 

“It’s a beautiful day, dear Zelda,” Nohansen said as soon as she exited her tent around noon, “Today you are wed, and I become the Crown Prince of Hyrule.”

He walked her through the hills that flanked the carriage ready to carry them to the wedding venue.

“Savor the sight of this bridge, it’s likely to be the last bit of stonework you see for a very long time. Only tents and huts for you from now on,” he snickered.

“You speak as though you’ve ever bothered to set foot anywhere you couldn’t threaten everyone into submission,” she refuted. His grip tightened on her arm.

“It’s a little early to act like a savage, hmm? Oh look!” her cousin exclaimed with exaggerated surprise, “Here come your new countrymen!”

He pointed to the bridge’s arch where there were indeed eight figures approaching, four of which carried an empty palanquin on their shoulders. It was made from the same wood as her box, and it was decorated with garlands spilling with wildflowers. Owlan jogged to meet them as the designated translator while King Daphnes gave his obligatory greetings. Or rather, Zelda thought they were greetings. If the shouting was any indication, the exchange had quickly devolved into something else. Nohansen hurried over as soon as he heard his father raise his voice. Zelda made to follow, but she was ushered away by a maid who wanted to put the final touches on her ensemble. While some pins were pushed into her hair Zelda listened to the increasing din as the King’s shouting was accompanied by the protests of the other nobles in attendance. When she emerged, the nobles had disappeared, but the carriages and the palanquin remained. Zelda flagged down a footman and asked what came of the dispute from earlier.

“His Majesty didn’t take kindly to being informed that the road to the spring of courage wouldn’t support the carriages. The rest of the wedding guests have already begun the trek to the venue.”

“I see,” was her only reply. She eyed the long train of her gown. While a far cry from the miles of fabric one might have expected from the Princess’ wedding gown, the skirt still trailed three feet behind her. She had argued with the tailors to design a gown more sensible for the tropics, but she hadn’t anticipated walking to the venue. Noodle shifted from her place on her shoulders, sensing her apprehension.

“ _Priestess_ ,” 

She turned to one of the Zonai representatives. She had seen sketches Owlan provided of some of their daily attire, so she wasn’t shocked to see the roughly cut hide that served as an equivalent to a soldier's uniform. Rather than identical clothes, the warriors seemed to identify by a painted swirl on their bicep. The warrior who had spoken was holding a hand out to her while one of the palanquin bearers was holding open the translucent white curtain to reveal a padded chaise. She took the warrior’s hand and he helped Zelda and her extended skirt duck into the palanquin. It was softer than she expected, and with the added legroom it was a fair but comfier than the carriage. Noodle seemed to agree, and within a few moments the white serpent was curling around the rafters before the palanquin bearers took hold of their posts and lifted her into the air and they moved to cross the bridge. She felt a little self conscious being carried to her wedding, but she wasn’t about to complain about what could possibly be a time honored Zonai tradition. 

They were halfway across the bridge when Zelda felt the air crackle with electricity. Confused and a little alarmed, she moved the linen aside to look up at the sky. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky, but after a few moments she caught sight of a massive shadow leisurely crossing that sprawling blue sky.

“What is that?” she asked, pointing to the flying leviathan. 

“Princess?” asked one to the palace guards. She pointed again.

“That creature there, the one cloaked in lightning. Is it dangerous?”

“There’s nothing there, your Highness,” the other hylian knight insisted, “As nervous as you may be, we are duty bound to make sure you arrive at your wedding, we will not be stopping.”

Zelda looked at the knight. Was he really going on about cold feet with a living thunderstorm twisting through the sky?

One of the Zonai warriors waved a hand to get her attention.

“ _Farosh_ ,” he said, “ _Golden Spirit of Courage_.”

He spoke a few more words, but all Zelda caught was ‘guardian’ and ‘blessing’. Nevertheless she was reassured. If the locals had no issue with the beast, it likely posed no threat. She returned to her seat, though she could have sworn she saw the warriors exchange a pleasantly surprised, if not hopeful, look. Zelda sat back and watched Farosh descend into the water only to rise through the air on the other side of the bridge. Now that she knew not to fear it, it was quite a majestic sight.

As they entered the jungle it became clear that the Hyrulean soldiers were not properly outfitted for the trek. They fell behind often, the metal plating of their armor working against them in the dense foliage.

Even Zelda, well shaded in her palanquin, was not immune to the heat. The humidity was quite taxing, and she felt herself heave a heavy sigh when her escorts set her down to rest, though she got the distinct impression that it was to give the knights, not panting and exhausted, a chance to catch their breath. Zelda was examining the plant life around her, contemplating snapping off one of the large, waxy leaves to fan herself with when a Zonai warrior approached with a bowl in his hand. He handed her the wooden bowl along with a wooden pick and a large cloth before she was once again lifted and they were moving once again. Zelda spread the cloth over her dress before driving the pick into one of the cubed pieces of hydromelon. Careful not to let it drip she put a piece in her mouth and immediately felt better as the cooling effect took over. The fruit also had the added bonus of quenching her thirst. As they neared the Spring of Courage she understood why they had provided a palanquin instead of a carriage. The length provided the feel of spaciousness, but it was narrow enough to be carried across the bridges crossing the rivers without difficulty. 

As the sun began to sink below the horizon and Zelda could hear the chatter of wedding guests she felt her heart begin to pound. Before long the party came into view, and everyone fell into hushed whispers when they caught sight of the bride’s arrival. She began to take deep, measured breaths, reaching up to let Noodle coil around her forearm before they set her down before that yawning mouth of a great stone dragon. The palanquin bearers drew back the curtains, and she stepped out onto the ancient stone path leading to her groom. A young woman with dark skin and red eyes hurried to her side, pressing a bouquet into her hands. The moment was spoiled by her uncle coming to take her arm. She braced for a snide remark, but none came. She glanced at his wary, tense frown. In his years as king, her uncle took great care to school his expression into one of relaxed contempt, to see him express worry clearly on his face meant he had made a grave miscalculation indeed.

Perplexed, she turned back to face forward as he walked her down the aisle. As she passed through the middle of the crowd she formed a pretty solid theory behind the King’s reaction. A far cry from the small, utilitarian affair her uncle and cousin had joked about for the past month, the Spring of Courage was decorated with the same waterfalls of flowers that adorned the palanquin. Tables were laden with cascades of fruit and roasting meat and fish. Torches were placed everywhere and a bonfire raged, ready to fuel a night filled with festivities. 

The crowd was much larger than she anticipated. This in itself wasn’t necessarily noteworthy, Zonai was the largest nation on the continent, but the unexpected diversity was. Not only was there a representative from every nation on the continent, there was a substantial party accompanying each one. Three members of the Hyrulean nobility had traveled with Zelda to her wedding, every other race was represented by at least twelve individuals at the very least, vastly outnumbering the hylians in attendance. It was a gathering of races the Kingdom of Hyrule hadn’t seen the likes of in thousands of years.

And it was held in Zelda’s honor.

It wasn’t supposed to be this way, Zelda knew. This was meant to be a glorified handoff, the tying of the final loose end in King Daphnes’ rule before finally resting on his laurels. Looking around it was clear as day that this wasn’t some sort of underhanded exchange to be completed out of sight, this was a triumph. This was a celebration invoking the Hyrule of old. The corners of the continents traveled far and wide to witness this day. In the face of such blatant unification, Zelda couldn’t help but think that perhaps the world wasn’t quite so fragmented as she thought.

Zelda stepped into the dragon’s maw, a half step in front of her uncle. The King of Hyrule was dragging his feet, and Zelda thought that he had come to the realization that perhaps he should have granted her nuptials more consideration. 

Regardless, it was too late to back out now. Zelda could already see the statue of the goddess wrapped in an ethereal glow, shining like a guiding star. The braziers were lit, the shifting light hinting at the ancient, primal energy she could feel pulsing from the spring in front of her. Many of the attendees hovered back at the dragon’s teeth, but the only people who watched her walk ahead were various priests Zonai and Hylian alike. There was a low, rhythmic whispering pushed her forward between the pillars to the stairs descending into the water. Zelda could see the man she had been engaged to for the last month, waiting for her alone in the spring. His face was still hidden underneath the skull of some creature she didn’t recognize. His stomach and limbs were smeared with the same deep purple paint that ran along the contours of his helmet. His right arm was protected with bone, a contrast to her own arm, where Noodle was still obediently curled. She felt a thrill descend her spine watching the way his muscles moved under his skin as he moved to meet them. Zelda’s trance was broken by her uncle hesitating at the stairs, pulling her arm back in the process.

“Oh you must be joking,” the King muttered when they got to the first step, lip curling at the thought of having to step into the water with her. He needn’t have worried, it turned out, as a Zonai priest grabbed his arm when he attempted to step down.

“ _Sacred water_ ,” he said, “ _Go no further_.”

King Daphnes turned to her, “What’s this savage’s problem?”

“You’re not allowed to step in the water,” she translated, “It’s sacred.”

The king clenched his jaw, and Zelda handed him her bouquet in a silent attempt to bid him to stay without protest. He backed down, and Zelda turned back to the spring where her fiance had approached. He reached past her to pluck a flower, a Silent Princess, from the bouquet in one hand and took hers in the other. He led her into the water, holding tight to her hand as she walked to the same spot he had stood only a moment before. He tucked the flower behind her ear, and she finally got to see her husband’s face.

Urbosa was right, he was handsome. Now that she was level with him she could look in her clear, Zonai blue eyes. He smiled, his face as flushed as hers.

“ _Hi_ ,” he whispered, a bit shy.

“ _Hi_ ,” she responded, with a chuckle. On her wrist, Noodle stretched out and sniffed at his hand, tongue flickering multiple times before curling back up again. Satisfied with her approval, Zelda felt the tension in her shoulders ease.

The Zonai priest nodded to them to begin the rite. She had researched some of the wedding practices of the Zonai and learned that the emphasis was on the celebration afterward rather than the ceremony itself. Rather than be officiated by a priest the bride and groom gave their vows before witnesses and that was that. Her fiance took a breath, and spoke,”

_“I, Link of the Zonai, have come to take the Zelda, Sacred Maiden, as my honored wife. Whether skyward bound, adrift in time, or steeped in the glowing embers of twilight, I dedicate my life and my love to her protection, her happiness, and her holy bloodline. With this union I vow to protect Hyrule and its queen against the rising danger.”_

Zelda had written her own vows, with Owlan’s careful tutelage she had practiced, all in preparation for this moment. And yet, standing within the waters of that sacred spring she felt something rise within her, replacing her intended vow that felt much older and deeper.

_“I, Zelda of Hyrule, have come to take Link, Hero of the Wilds and all who reside within, as my cherished husband. Through forests green, across the great sea, or deep within dreams, I dedicate my life and love to his protection, his happiness, and all he holds dear. With this union I vow to guide Hyrule and its people through the coming darkness.”_

Once she spoke the final word she felt something in the air snap, and outside there was a thunderous cheer that shook the earth. Zelda swooned as whatever drove her to speak her spontaneous vows left and she felt weakened in its absence. Link was there to catch her before she could fall in the water. 

“Are you okay?” he asked. She raised her head to look in his eyes.

“You can speak Hylian?” 

He raised his free hand and tilted his flat palm a couple of times, indicating a shaky but nonetheless existent grasp on her native language, before hooking her arm through his and leading her out of the spring and into the celebration outside.

The sun had set, and when the bride and groom walked hand in hand out into the open air the festivities began in full force. For the lovely couple, this meant an endless string of greeting to introduce Zelda to the guests in attendance as one by one they came to lay their gift at the table beside them where they would stay until they were transported to Link’s dwelling to be opened at a later date. Link and Zelda themselves were seated on a cushioned chaise. Zelda sat straight as she was trained to while her husband sat back, slouching against the seat. At first Zelda thought this a tad rude, but a closer look at the crowd gave her ample examples of Zonai conduct, and noticed that the fires around which they were seated were much more relaxed, even when dignitaries from other countries approached. The only exception being the ones where Hyrulean nobles attempted conversations. With their stiff posture and retrained mannerisms, there was little conversation to be had with the other party goers.

Taking a chance and a little fatigued, Zelda herself leaned back, settling under her husband's arm and kicking her feet up on the chaise to lean into his chest. The Zonai crowd cheered, raising their cups in a toast. Zelda felt her cheeks burn, and found herself turning to her face in Link’s neck. This only made them cheer louder. Once her actions caught up to her she tensed, worried that she’s overstepped. Her fears were quickly dashed when Link’s arm came around to cradle her shoulders, giving her a gentle squeeze while he said something in Zonai that prompted a round of laughter. 

Urbosa approached, striding up to her with the twinkle of mischief in her eye. 

“Congratulations, my little bird,” she said, “Today you are free.”

By the time everyone had paid her respects, Zelda’s stomach was rumbling and she was ready to descend on the table laden with fruit and steaming meat. She walked arm in arm with Link to one of the tables where they were promptly served with both food and wine. They returned to their chaise, plates placed between them.

“Are you having a good time?” he asked in heavily accented hylian. Zelda nodded.

“For the most part yes, though I admit I’m a bit fatigued. I’m not used to being the center of attention” she said before taking a wildberry and taking a bite.

_“A bold claim from someone so beautiful.”_

Zelda gasped, cheeks burning, but her husband only continued to eat, face hidden by his helm, though she noticed a bit of redness on the tips of his ears. After they finished eating they made the rounds engaging the guests, and Zelda was continually surprised at the deference shown to her by all the guests. She could understand how respect for her husband would carry over to her by the Zonai, but she had been told time and time again that the other races held Hyrule and it’s people in low regard, and as its princess she had expected polite greetings, obligatory well wishes and little else. Instead, Zelda sensed reverence from the dignitaries. There was a hope in their eyes that she couldn’t quite explain. Before she had much time to ponder on this treatment, however, Nohansen, drunk and aggravated by his exclusion, came staggering up.

“What a marvelous evening!” he slurred, turning to Link, “Brace yourself now, cousin, your wedding night isn’t over yet! Any moment now I’m sure your brute of a husband is going to drag you off to whatever pile of straw he thinks is a bed to bend you ove-”

And that was how Zelda saw the serrated blade she had commissioned not more than a month ago pressed against her cousin’s neck. Link was silent as he held Nohansen’s arm in a death grip. Zelda noticed King Daphnes fidget, seething at the disrespect but unwilling to throw his weight around at a party where he was so hopelessly outnumbered. Zelda put her hand on her husband’s shoulder, hoping against bloodshed. He glanced at her, eyes softening for a moment before turning back to steel to look at her cousin.

“Get your hands off me, you savage!” the prince sputtered, struggling in vain to free himself from the Zonai warrior’s grip, “I’m the heir to the throne of Hyrule!”

“So you say,” was Link’s only reply, before releasing the other man with a rough shove.

Prince Nohansen stormed away, taking most of the Hyrulean nobility with him as he left the party in a huff. Zelda watched them leave. For all his vulgarity, he wasn’t wrong. That morning she had consumed one of her contraceptives in anticipation for the consummation of her marriage. Her gaze wandered to her where her husband stood next to her. As her eyes trailed down his painted stomach, she concluded that going to bed with him was by no means the foreboding prospect her cousin obviously thought it was. 

Her musings were interrupted by a cloud of smoke billowing in front of her, out of which appeared a young woman with red eyes and long white hair. Dressed in a skintight blue suit emblazoned in what Zelda was almost certain was the symbol of the Sheikah, a tribe that had vanished from history thousands of years ago. Or so she thought.

“Finally,” the woman breathed out a laugh, “I thought they’d never leave.”

“Hello Impa,” Link said, tucking his knife back into his belt.

Impa herself turned to Zelda before bowing, “The Sheikah have come to pay their respects to the Blood of the Goddess.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” Zelda answered, not sure how else to respond. There was a deep resentment of the Sheikah in Hyrule Castle, and while Zelda herself always took that vitriol with a grain of salt, to see a living member of what was presumed to be a fallen tribe was a shock to say the least. 

Now that the Sheikah had arrived the festivities kicked into high gear. Zelda had hoped to speak with her husband some more, but she ended up interacting with the rest of the guests for the rest of the evening.

The party lasted all night, and by the time it was winding down the sun had begun to rise over the horizon. After eating breakfast an attendant approached leading a stag with a rope. Link got up to take the rope from the man’s hand. Sensing their departure, Zelda reached down to her waist, and after undoing a few clasps she detached yards of fabric to reveal a much shorter skirt that ended above the knee. Then she flipped the reversible cloth to the blue side she had treated with a water-repellent formula just in case it rained and fastened it to her shoulders to make a much more sensible outfit for travel before stepping up to join him. 

Her husband turned to her, mouth opened to speak but paused when he took in Zelda’s modified dress. After a moment he nodded, impressed, before placing his hands on his wife’s hips and lifted her onto the stag’s back. 

“Comfortable?” he asked, and she nodded. 

“ _Are we headed home_?” she asked, curious and excited to learn where she would live from then on. He shook his head, and she could see a sweet blush spread on his cheeks. She tilted her head in a wordless question.

“Honeymoon,” he replied, before pulling on the rope and heading into the forest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, who among you would be opposed to Noodle becoming a vaguely supernatural entity?


	3. Honeymoon

As it turned out their honeymoon retreat was a fair distance away from the Spring of Courage, a day’s leisurely ride that Zelda spent on the back of a stag. She knew it wasn’t due to a lack of horses, as she saw several Zonai guests leave on horseback, and a horse drawn wagon had carried away their pile of wedding gifts, so as she watched him place his helm and the excess of fur behind her on the stag’s back she asked him about her unconventional mount.

“Do stags have cultural significance?”

Link stopped to look at her, head slightly tilted, “Cultural significance?” he asked, unfamiliar with the phrase.

“Are they . . .” she began, looking for the best word that would fit in his language, “ _Sacred? Religiously important?”_

He shook his head, “Not sacred _._ Practical _. Horses are only ridden by those who tame them._ Bucks are gentle _, being thrown from one isn’t dangerous.”_

She managed to understand his bilingual explanation, and was confident enough to ask another question.

“And the skull?”

He tilted his head as he repeated the word, unsure. Zelda tapped on his helm. His gaze cleared with understanding.

“Proof of political standing. _I received it after killing a trio of Hinoxen terrorizing Lurelin village_ ,” he explained. He gave her a smile, “I sent the proposal of marriage that very same day.” 

_“What creature is it?”_ she asked, trying in vain to hide her blush. He shrugged.

“ _We don’t know. The helm is old, and the beast -_.”

She didn’t catch that last word, but from the context she assumed he meant ‘extinct’, and took a note of its translation. She had a shaky understanding of Zonai politics, only that each region was governed by a Warden, a group of individuals who made up a council, but where and when they met was still a mystery to Zelda. She was sure she would be enlightened in time, but of all the things to learn of her new home, the politics wasn’t what excited her.

As they walked through the foliage, Zelda let her eyes rest on her husband’s painted back. He had stripped off most of the fur, much to her delight, and walked in just the hide and cloth wrapped around his hips. She wasn’t really surprised, she was sweating in her breathable by design wedding gown and had absolutely no desire to imagine what it might feel like to wear boots and gauntlets insulated by fur in the dense jungle. He had also shed his helm, giving her a chance to admire his golden hair hanging loose around his shoulders and wonder how it would feel to run her hands through it..

When she wasn’t admiring his figure, she was taking in the lush green plant life turned to emeralds by the southern sun. A stark contrast to the oppressive greys and blood red banners of the castle walls. There was an ease in the air running through her lungs, a sense of peace she hadn’t experienced since both of her parents passed to the same strange illness all those years ago. Despite the flurry of excitement for the night resting low in her stomach, Zelda felt a deep relaxation settle in her bones. No longer would she be scrutinized by whispering staff led by her cousin, or made to kneel on the Sacred Grounds looking up at the looming shadow of Hyrule Castle until the sky went red like blood before night fell and she was once again let inside. She was excited to learn, whether it was the properties of herbs found in Zonai or the exact contours of her husband’s body.

She ran her eyes down her husband’s back again, a shiver going down her spine as she watched the muscles shift under his skin as he stretched. However, when Link mentioned that they were merely an hour away from their destination, Zelda felt an unease go through her.

Zelda was excited, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t a little scared.

During their courtship, Zelda was made to attend several tea parties with freshly married noblewomen in an attempt to brace her for her ‘predicament’. There were hours of dialogue recounting the experiences these women shared as they navigated their own unions.

“Remember that your husband is a human too, not some bodice ripping monster waiting to drag you off,” a woman said.

“Indeed, itis easy to make an enemy of your bedfellow when you find yourself in a new environment,” added Rova, a Gerudo who had come to Hyrule to marry a minister in an attempt to strengthen relationships between the countries, “But you’re better off keeping in mind that your voe is likely in the same boat you are, and making an ally out of him.”

Zelda had enjoyed these salons, and appreciated the tips given to her, glad to be allowed to interact with her peers for once. That said, she was well aware that these women visited at her uncle’s behest in an attempt to keep Zelda quiet until the wedding. It wouldn’t do to have the Crown Princess leave Hyrule kicking and screaming after all. This meant that sex, the clear lynel in the room as far as the king was concerned, was strictly off limits. The unknown, no matter how alluring, always held a twinge of fear. Zelda had tried to reign in her unease with research, as she always had, but ran into an unexpected setback.

It wasn’t the lack of literature on the topic. Evidently her uncle had not thought far enough ahead to ban Zelda’s access to such subjects in the library. No, the difficulty arose from the conflicting accounts. Zelda had kicked off her search by rereading some of the texts she was provided when her monthly cycle started. These books didn’t paint sexual intercoarse in a very flattering light, but while Zelda was coming to grips with this reality when she took note of the author’s names and it occurred to her that these books were all written by courtiers with a vested interest in keeping a princess chaste until marriage, and there might have been a subsequent effort to misrepresent sex as something more frightening than it was. 

Zelda had taken to the shelves again, this time making an effort to pull books written by Gerudo and Zonai authors. It was reassuring to find texts written from a woman’s perspective, but the challenge, rather fittingly, became interpreting the text in a meaningful way. The castle had a legion of scribes dedicated to translating foriegn books for scholars’ benefit, but it was evident that these books in particular were put on the backburner. Thus, Zelda was made to rely on her better, yet still incomplete grasp of the Gerudo tongue in addition to her limited Zonai vocabulary to piece together a fuzzy but much more positive view on sex.

Zelda had spent much of their travels together thinking about how her husband’s skin might feel like against hers, but how much of that was her own fantasy? Her idea of sex could be groundless. Zelda started breathing heavier, and she started to shake. She hadn’t even been kissed yet, who was she to be so sure laying with a man would be pleasant? What if this was just a lie she told herself to quell panic? 

The stag beneath her came to a stop, and a soft touch on her knee pulled Zelda back to the present moment. Link was looking up at her with a furrowed brow.

“Are you okay?” he asked, his hand moving from her knee to grasp her hand. She looked down at where their hands were joined, and couldn’t help but feel that someone with such a gentle touch would ever intentionally hurt her. And then her gaze brushed up his arm to his face where his eyes, brilliant and patient and blue, rekindled the smoldering attraction in her core, slowly melting the chill that had taken over.

Still, it couldn’t hurt to have a taste of what to come.

Zelda took her hand from the stag’s ruff and reached to hold the side of his face, pulling him forward so she could press their lips together. It wasn’t passionate by any means. In fact, it was a tad awkward, the hesitation on both sides clear. But it wasn’t unpleasant as she had feared. His lips were soft and his hand warm as it moved to hold her own to the side of his face. She liked the giddy feeling in her stomach and the light sparks that ran down her arms when he took a step closer.

She pulled away gently, looking into his eyes. Then the trance broke, and she nodded awkwardly before letting him go and settling on the stag’s back. It wasn’t perfect, but it was perfectly tolerable, and showed promise. Link blushed and looked away, leading them on without another word.

The trip took the whole day, and the sun began to set the sky ablaze by the time that reached their destination atop a mountain close to the coast. Once they reached the top Zelda caught sight of a massive tent made from bright green fabric illuminated by several torches, firelight reflecting on the still waters of a small pond while green sparks of sunset fireflies drifted idly through the air. The inside of the tent had the same sort of relaxed beauty, the large space dominated by a large futon covered with blankets and cushions. Zelda saw the trunk with her travel wardrobe next to a vanity with a small mirror she didn’t recognize. She took off her cloak while Link set down his helmet before they both exited the tent. A table was set for them with a light dinner of fruits and greens. They spoke little in between bites, tension thick between them. 

Zelda felt that her original hopes for a pleasant first night were not unfounded. The hylian texts she read made the claim that attraction and arousal to be a distinctly male experience, which Zelda now knew to be utter nonsense. Besides, if sex was such a horrible than she had no idea why there was so much written about it. She remembered more than one Zonai text detailing several variations to the act itself, which implied that it was pleasurable enough for multiple women to seek out and record these methods purely for recreational purposes. She could work with that, all she had to do was to cease hesitating and finally learn what she was handling. Zelda cleared her throat and shyly placed a vial on the table, sliding it towards him. Link picked it up to examine the light blue liquid.

“What is it?” he asked. She cleared her throat, cheeks burning.

“ _A contraceptive_ ,” she answered, praying she had interpreted that phrase correctly when she read it in a Zonai text weeks ago.

He raised an eyebrow, cheeks red, and Zelda blushed harder, but he didn’t say a word, only drank the elixir while holding her gaze. The look in his eye stoking the fire coiling low in her belly

After the meal Zelda retreated to the tent while Link headed to the pond to wash off his paint. She put Noodle to bed in her basket before removing her jewelry and placing it on a small vanity that had been set beside the surprisingly copious pile of cushions and blankets. Then she began to remove her clothing with hesitant, nervous hands. She had a set of bridal lingerie, but her cousin’s incessant insistence she hurry hardly put her in the mood to put it on the previous morning. That in combination with the uncertainty regarding the post nuptial travel plans drove Zelda to choose a simpler, more practical set of undergarments and optimistically saved the planned one for a later date. She was thankful for it on the stag’s back, but here at her honeymoon retreat she had regrets. She doubted that the plain cotton panties and brassiere would impress her new husband all that much, but she still wanted to get the evening off on the right foot. She considered taking out the bridal set now and changing into it, but she didn’t want to risk ruining the intended effect by having him walk in while she was awkwardly contorting to lace herself into a corset. After a moment’s consideration, she decided she would make it work by getting rid of them altogether, stepping out of them and placing them in a separate basket next to her trunk of clothes. She opened the tent flap and stepped into the summer air.

Then Zelda stood bare against the cool wind of the night. She waited for that learned twinge of shame that came with being naked in front of a man, but all she found was anticipation for his touch, drawn toward him by a primal desire growing deep in her core. Zelda stepped toward him where he was washing the last of the paint off of his arms, sitting in a pair of wonderfully small shorts now that he’d shed the fabric around his waist. She reached a hand across his chest and put a hand on his bicep. This drew his attention, but he froze at the sight of her. Before he could react further her hand slid up his shoulder and cupped his neck where she pulled him towards her. Link’s hands came to rest at her waist, warm and gentle. So far so good.

The kiss started off much like the first, hesitant and sweet, before quickly evolving into something more. As his tongue slipped into her mouth, she pressed against his shoulders, throwing a leg over his lap as he wrapped his arms around her. She could do this.

She felt his hands move from their spot on her waist to her breasts, rubbing over her nipples. She moaned, and his pleased hum in response made her hips buck against him. Link took advantage of the break in their kiss to bury his face in her neck, stoking the fire between them with countless little kisses that sparked against her skin. Her hands gripped his shoulders, and when he started to suck on one of her breasts she dragged her hands down his back. He jerked closer to her, one hand gripping her backside while the other slipped between her legs, leaving her gasping at the curl of his fingers. Zelda panted and moaned as his thumb circled her clit, her breasts brushing against his chest with every heavy breath. She reached down to hook her fingers in his shorts and Link lifted his hips to help her pull them off. She took a moment then to look at him then, for all of the research Zelda had conducted, she hadn’t seen an erection in the flesh. She reached out a tentative hand and gripped him,

“ _Good_?” she asked, panting slightly. He nodded, and she could see a shy smile grow on his face.

“Good.” 

She began dragging her hand up and down like she’d read about. She wasn’t disappointed, his flushed face and lust filled expression brought her a special satisfaction that she wanted to explore. Alas, it would have to wait for another day, because that’s when her husband decided that he’d had enough and flipped them around, pressing her into the soft grass and sheltering her between his arms.

She loved the way that Link’s silhouette looked against the stars in the sky and the soft light of the fireflies, and when she felt him position himself between her legs she thought their future looked very bright indeed. She felt his hand cradle her cheek, a thumb brushing over her skin.

“Ready?” he asked, and she nodded.

Then he was slowly pushing into her, the tenderness in his eyes only adding to the growing warmth in her stomach. It was a bit uncomfortable at first, but Zelda didn’t want him to pull away. She had never felt this way before, and for the first time in a very long time, she didn’t feel so tragically isolated. There under the stars shining so kindly down upon them, Zelda felt the last of the deep set loneliness dissolve in the heat of their union. She didn’t know what the future held for her, but she was comforted by the fact that she wouldn’t be alone.

Then he began to move, pushing in and out with a delicious friction that sent her over the edge, his name ringing out over the mountain. He kept up his pace, letting her ride out her orgasm before his own followed shortly after, collapsing on top of her. They rested there a moment before Link got up, and there was a moment where she mourned the loss of his warmth before he took her into his arms and walked them into the tent, kneeling to set her down on the futon before settling down next to her and pulling the blankets over them. Zelda was grabbing at him before he had even let go of the blanket, starving for that connection she’d been denied for so long. She reveled in his touch when he pushed inside of her again and again, thankful for her husband’s nigh inexhaustible stamina. They made love countless times that night, high off of this sensation that overpowered every other reach for pleasure Zelda had made before. She pulled him closer time after time until she was convinced that his warmth wasn’t a fleeting dream but a blessing that was there to stay. Eventually the fever wound down, and Link settled against her, his chest coming to rise and fall against hers. Zelda wrapped her arms around his shoulders while he nuzzled into her shoulder. They didn’t after that, Zelda couldn’t find the words in her language or his that could do justice to what had transpired, so she contented herself with the comfort of being in the arms of her husband as their breathing synchronized and she fell asleep.

There was a difference in the air between them the next morning. They woke up late the next day, exhausted from the long day and the night that followed. Shortly before noon, Zelda felt Link stir next to her, his hand gliding along her back.

“ _Good morning_ ,” he murmured, before giving a light kiss on her forehead and getting dressed. She watched him apply the paint to his skin, idly wondering how he would look in green. She hadn’t seen any variations of color in the war paint, however, so it wasn’t likely they had it available. She yawned and sat up, only to regret it immediately as a throbbing pain flared up between her legs. She fell back against the cushions with a surprised squeak.

“ _What’s wrong?_ ” Link said, coming over with a concern written over his face.

“I’m sore,” she said, tentatively lifting a hip to test her range of motion. It wasn’t much.

“I’m sorry,” he said, gently squeezing her shoulder with a guilty expression.

“Don’t be,” she said, reaching up to cradle his face, “ _We just have to practice_.”

She blushed a bit at the implication in her words, but his creased brow didn’t smooth out. She was about to reassure him further, but was interrupted by her own stomach growling.

Link sighed, leaving another lingering kiss on her forehead before leaving to retrieve breakfast. Zelda watched him leave, trying to name the warm, steady feeling in her chest. Zelda hesitated to use the word ‘love’ when thinking of her husband just yet. Whatever was between them, it was far too young to earn such a weighted title. Instead, there was a tentative affection between them. A chemistry that they could perhaps fall back on should their relationship hit a bump in the road. Still, Zelda had to admit she was remarkably more relaxed now that they had spent the night together. Urbosa was right, she had nothing to fear from her marriage bed.

Well, nothing except aching muscles, but she figured that was a fair trade off for the ecstasy that preceded it. Off in the distance she heard a round of laughter followed by wolf whistles, and a few minutes later her husband came back through the tent, carrying a bag and a platter of diced fruit. Zelda noticed the blush raging across his cheeks, but chose not to comment on it. Instead she pointed to the bag under his arm.

“ _What’s that_?”

He set down the platter on the futon above her head after pushing some of the pillows out of the way. He cleared his throat.

“The doctor said this would help.”

He had Zelda turn onto her stomach so she could munch on wildberries while he began to spread a type of ointment onto her lower back that heated up her sore muscles, burning away some of the ache from the night before. She hummed in satisfaction, soaking in the decadence of the moment. The smooth pressure of his hands brought pleasure of a different flavor then the searing lust from the previous night. It was softer, and sweet as the berry between her teeth. She heard steps outside the tent, and she shifted.

“ _Who is that_?”

“ _I had our wedding presents brought up_ . _I thought we could spend the day opening them_ ,” he said, before standing up and handing her a different ointment from the bad,

“I’ll give you a moment to get dressed and,” he didn’t finish his thought, only glanced at her thighs and blushed, holding out the ointment and staring at his feet. Once she understood his meaning she gasped slightly, taking the container in her hand with a nod of thanks.

“Do you need anything? Should I send in a handmaiden?”

She shook her head reaching towards her clothes chest, “Could you hand me my robe?”

He left and began speaking to the people outside of their tent. She could only catch scraps of their conversation, but she heard Link order a chaise be placed closer to the tent. Zelda gently spread her legs and rubbed some of the cream on the insides of her thighs. It must have had a numbing agent, as after a cool rush came an ease to the pain that allowed her to move a bit more comfortably though not painlessly, pulling on her robe she moved to sit on her trunk and check on Noodle, but decided to leave her be as she slept soundly. 

Link came in then to take her outside. He took her in his arms and carried her outside. 

“I can-” she began to say, but then she saw the look on his face, jaw tight and brow furrowed. The guilt was still there, and he carried her as though she was made of glass. When he set her down on the chaise and pulled away she held fast to his arms.

“ _What’s wrong_?” she asked, worried when he wouldn’t meet her eyes.

“I just-” he sighed, “ _I don’t want to make things worse_.”

“What are you talking about?” she asked. Link rubbed the back of his neck.

“I know this isn’t,” he took a moment to find the right word, “an ideal situation for you, _coming here to a -- -- - of life with -- and_ _I know what your people think of us, how you think we’re beasts and_ -” he sighed, “I just don’t won’t make things harder for you.”

She looked at him a moment, at a loss as to how to address his concerns, especially given her incomplete comprehension of what he said.

 _“I don’t think you’re a beast,”_ she said, “ _You didn’t do anything wrong_.”

“I wasn’t supposed to hurt you,” he muttered.

“It was a joint effort, as I recall,” she said, “We were overzealous perhaps. _I have no regrets. We’ll do better next time. Yes?”_ she tucked a hand under his chin to meet his gaze. He swallowed, but nodded after a moment’s hesitation. 

“Now then,” she said, leaning back and settling on the chaise, “we have presents to open.”

Link retrieved the fruit platter and handed her gifts to unwrap in between bites. There was a series of silks and jewels. There were a few standouts, one of which was a suit of lightweight armor Link told her was from the Sheikah she met at their wedding. Zelda’s favorite gift by far, however, was Urbosa’s.

_The Noble Pursuit; a Young Woman’s Guide to Intimacy_

Now this could get interesting. She had come across a copy in the library, but it was in such disrepair what words she could decipher were few and far between. It was a relief to have one in her own language. In fact, Zelda swung her legs up onto the couch and cracked it open right then. Link shuffled closer to read the cover.

“ _What does_ ‘intimacy’ _mean_?” he asked.

“ _It’s referring to sex_.” Zelda answered. He was quiet for a moment.

“ _What’s it say_?”


	4. Rough Transitions

Zelda decided to stay up on the mountain for a few days after their first night. Despite the curiosity sparked by Lurelin village on the shores below, she decided gaining more confidence in the bedroom was more important. This was their honeymoon, after all, and Zelda knew she would be thrust into her new way of life soon enough so she was happy to postpone the introduction.

This ambition was set in stone when Link had turned back to their wedding gifts. They had been taking stock for hours now, but it seemed like they had barely put a dent in the pile of well wishes. A closer look at her husband’s actions let her know why. Zelda lowered her book, momentarily distracted from the list of substances that served as effective lubricants when she noticed Link examine the note attached to a gift and set it aside on a growing, separate stack of unopened gifts.

“ _ Why are you doing that _ ?” she asked, he turned to her, a box in his hands.

“ _ Doing what _ ?”

“Sorting  _ the gifts _ ,” she clarified, pointing to the other pile.

“I want to wait to open these at home,” he said, twisting to reach for another gift. Zelda was about to ask why when she noticed several red, assertive lines down his back. She squeaked, and he turned to her, slightly panicked.

“You’re worried about me when your back looks like that?” she said, pointing an accusatory finger, “ _ I should be worried about you _ !”

“It’s different!” Link insisted, cheeks pink.

“How so?” she demanded. He cast his eyes down.

“ _ I like the way it hurts _ ,” he mumbled, the flush spreading to his neck and ears.

Zelda gasped at the thrill running through her before saying, “ _ What if I like the way it hurts too _ ?”

His head snapped up, mouth agape. She held his gaze, tilting her head to the side. That snapped something in him, and before she could blink Zelda felt his tongue on her lips. She moaned against him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders to pull him closer. She could feel the heat rise between them as his hand came to rest on her waist. She swung her legs around to wrap them around his hips, but it was too much too soon and she couldn’t stop a small hiss coming out between her teeth, and just like that he was gone, kneeling before her with remorse clear across his face.

“Sorry,” he said again, wrapping his arms around her hips in a sweet embrace tainted with guilt.

“Hey,” she said, combing her hands through his hair when he rested his cheek on her lap, “ _ Don’t apologize for things that aren’t your fault. _ ”

“I don’t like the idea of hurting you,” he admitted.

“ _ That’s fine _ ,” she said, “We’ll be very careful and go slower next time.”

He sighed, eyes slipping shut as she rubbed his scalp.

“Much slower.”

They decided to leave off opening the rest of the gifts in favor of eating a quick dinner before Zelda insisted on applying some of the ointment on his back. He fell asleep under her ministrations and she wasn’t far behind, setting the container to the side and pulling the blankets over them both. Link’s arm settled over her shoulders as she settled, and she ventured a small kiss on his nose before shutting her eyes and drifting away.

Ideally, they would engage in a more controlled version of the frenzy of their first time, but there was a lingering ache between her thighs the next day, and even though Zelda told him that she would be fine, Link still wasn’t comfortable trying again until she completely recovered. Zelda understood that now wasn’t the time to push limits, so rather than suggest one of the new positions mentioned in  _ The Noble Pursuit _ , she proposed they explore other, less penetrative forms of sex.

To that end Zelda had requested that her husband strip and lie on the futon, book in hand while she read the handjob section. The book highly recommended a lubricant of some sort, so she reached to grab the tin their incredibly astute doctor had the foresight to include with the balm and opened it, spreading palm fruit oil on her hands before turning to get to work on Link’s erection. 

Or at least she would have if he had one. Instead, her husband’s member lay limp against his thighs.

Well now what was she supposed to do? All of the texts she’d read made the assumption that the erection had already occured, so Zelda was under the impression that it could be summoned at will. She glanced at Link’s face, but his mind seemed to be wandering, a lingering blush on his cheeks while he drummed his fingers against the futon and stomach. She turned her gaze back to his hips, confused. He’d been laying there for quite some time while she read, so he had plenty of time to do whatever he needed to do to stiffen up. Zelda’s brow furrowed as she tried to deduce what she had missed. Did they perhaps skip a step?

“ _ Why are you looking at it like that _ ?”

She looked back to her husband’s face. He looked like a deer in a hunter’s sights, which wasn’t a good sign by any means. Then again, Zelda figured she wouldn’t really appreciate someone glaring at her genitals either, so she made an effort to adopt a more pleasant expression.

“ _ Oh there’s nothing wrong with it, I just think it’s strange is all _ .”

That wasn’t the right thing to say, the raging blush on his face spread to his neck.

“ _ What _ ?” his voice was quiet and shaking. She floundered, setting the book to the side and taking his hand in hers.

“No, dearest, not like that! Yours is the only one I’ve seen so even if it was abnormal I doubt I could tell.”

He didn’t seem convinced. He shifted onto his elbows, his knees lifting in a subtle move to curl up. Zelda’s heart clenched. Feeling self conscious was the last thing he needed right now and Zelda was cursing her careless words for causing it.

“It’s just I don’t quite understand how it works,” she said in the sweetest, most reassuring voice she could muster, placing what she hoped was a placating hand on his thigh.

There! It moved! Zelda knew she was onto something, so she looked at him and gave him a salacious smile, sliding her hand up to his stomach, spreading the oil across his body. He sucked in a breath, but his legs relaxed and his expressions shifted from embarrassed to aroused. She dragged her fingers down to his other leg, closely circling his cock in a slow, leisurely pace. 

“ _ That’s it _ ,” she cooed when he hardened, “ _ Just look at you, _ ”

“I was curious about the man I would marry,” she mused as she worked, taking her index finger and running it up the underside of his erection. His head fell back as he moaned under her hand. She squeezed him, and he gasped, “ _ But to think I would be matched with such a handsome man _ .  _ I must be the luckiest newlywed on the continent. _ ”

“ _ Not- as much- as me _ ,” Link replied the best he could while writhing in her hands. 

Zelda hummed in response, pulling at the sash holding her robe shut, letting the silk whisper off her shoulders. She leaned down and began to lavish her lips and tongue over his neck and nibbling his jaw, her free hand coming to cradle his neck. Now that she was within his reach he took her in his arms, slipping one arm to cradle her back while he began massaging her breasts. She moved to cover his lips with her own, slipping her tongue between his teeth and he shuddered.

A warm liquid covered her and she felt him slacken beneath her with a satisfied sigh that did much to restore Zelda’s ego after their shaky start. She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before reaching for a cloth she had set aside for this purpose and wiped them both down before snuggling up to his side.

“I think that attempt was successful, wouldn’t you agree?”

He nodded, curling around her and pulling her close. 

  
  


Lurelin turned out to be a very strange town.

They’d stopped by every now and again, when Link suggested they shop around so Zelda could get another taste of Zonai culture outside of their wedding. Zelda had enjoyed these outings, and suspected they were what she’d heard some of the maids call ‘dates’, which apparently held a different meaning than simply marking the days passed. Their jaunts through the market had been boisterous and carefree, and Zelda had been excited to visit the town renowned for being the only Zonai community that welcomed outsiders. Since the other nations didn’t really welcome Hyrulean visitors, Lurelin was the only vacation spot for anyone looking for an exotic getaway. The first trip to the town was borne of necessity rather than curiosity, as Zelda quickly came to realize that the thick, wool blouses and skirts of her childhood made for an unpleasant stay in the tropics. Thus, Zelda’s first taste of the town was a trip through various clothes shops in a quest to get the former princess properly outfitted for her new lifestyle.

Whatever currency the Zonai used, Link didn’t seem to worry much about it, as he showed no hesitation to purchase an entire wardrobe for Zelda when he learned that the clothes she packed were hardly suitable for the southern climate. Then again, it was entirely possible that they didn’t use money at all, she didn’t see any change hands even once in the multiple trips to the town. Before they left each store Link simply took a stick of charcoal and signed a slip of odd looking parchment, though there were several conversations between the vendor and her husband that included the phrase ‘wedding gift’, she couldn’t catch much else of the hurried whispers. The more time she spent in the seaside town, the less it felt like the town at all. It felt more like an expanded marketplace rather than a community. She saw what appeared to be homes at first, but then she was asked if she wanted to stay the night in one. Zelda had declined, then spent the rest of the afternoon wondering where all the shopkeepers went after they closed their doors.

Her suspicion was further cemented when they were set to depart and she stood at the docks with nothing but the sea breeze and the quiet chattering of their entourage to combat the eerie silence of the once lively town. Zelda could chalk the lack of physical money to cultural differences, but when Zelda had walked through the streets of Lurelin wrapped in loose cotton around her waist and chest she was reminded of an empty shell more than a bustling community.

“What’s wrong?” Link’s voice asked behind her ear while his arms came to wrap around her stomach, “You don’t need to worry, our home is comfortable.  _ You won’t be living in a hut, I promise. _ ”

Zelda twisted in her arms to look at the strained look in his eyes. Uncertainty was drawn on his face as he worried his lip between his teeth.

_ I know what your people think of us, how you think we’re beasts. _

Perhaps that insecurity ran a bit deeper than Zelda originally thought, so she put on her brightest smile and laid her hands on his where they rested on her painted stomach, “ _ I’m sure our home is lovely, _ ” she said placatingly.

He smiled back, but there was a stiffness in his arms, a marked contrast from the many loose, easy embraces he had wrapped her in during their honeymoon. Before Zelda could clarify that her unease stemmed from whatever drastic change had occurred overnight she was faced with another puzzle when the boat arrived to take them to her husband’s home.

Admittedly, Zelda didn’t know much about ships, at least not the kind to brave the sea. The closest she’d seen were the supply boats that would cross the moat of Hyrule Castle. Her limited knowledge of sailing was enough to inform Zelda that it was very strange indeed that the vessel meant to carry them across the water had no sail at all, gliding towards the dock with a faint hum. She was absolutely perplexed. If not the wind, what drove the vessel forward? She didn’t quite know what to make of the strange blue light shining from some of the grooves carved into the strange material they had used to craft the ship, and likely would have stood there for hours trying to fathom how the stone-like material could float had her husband not taken her arm in his to lead her up the gangplank that had descended by itself. 

Stranger still, rather than a whole crew running around the deck to man the vessel there was only a servant ready to welcome them and lead them up to the observation deck where there was a table set up for lunch, complete with a water pitcher filled with ice, though where it came from Zelda had no idea. They sat down at the table and they departed. Zelda could see a larger ship approach the dock as they got further away from Lurelin. She figured that the second vessel was intended for their entourage and luggage.

Once they were seated Link was handed a small, solid rectangle with the Zonai swirl emblazoned in the same strange light as the hull, though it glowed green, not blue. Link hung the device on his hip before he cleared his throat.

“I wanted to talk to you before we reached home. About our way of life,” he began. He was dressed in an outfit similar to hers, a simple green shirt and brown pants, and Zelda wondered if he had forgone his warlike attire in an attempt to ease her into this transition.

“ _ Link _ ,” she said, reaching for his hand, “ _ I knew that my life would change drastically when I received your proposal. I’m not afraid.” _

“It’s just-” his thumb glided over her knuckles as he struggled to find the right words, “There are differences between our peoples, but not the ones you would likely expect. You see our people have-” he stopped then not knowing how to properly translate his thoughts, “-- --” he uttered the same phrase she recalled hearing when he expressed his concerns before, but Zelda was still lost on what it meant.

With a huff, Link took the device from his hip and laid it flat on the table. Curious, Zelda leaned forward to watch him tap his fingers along its surface. It seemed to shift with his touch, the screen changing as he tapped it, entering a series of symbols into a rectangle before pressing a button to the side.

“Technological Advances,”

The voice that came from the box had a strange, metallic quality to it, but was nonetheless recognizable as her native language. Intrigued, she took hold of the slate and flipped it around so she could examine its surface. She could see the letters of the Zonai alphabet laid out along the bottom half of the screen. In the top left corner she could see an icon that looked like some of the bird shaped statues they passed on their way to Lurelin. She tapped it, and a list of words in different alphabets popped up. She tapped ‘Hylian’, which prompted a similar list of languages that excluded her own.

“Select language to translate,”

She tapped “Zonai” and the screen returned to the state she'd first seen it, but the letters had switched to her native language. She tapped on the letters and waited, expecting it to speak again, only to be greeted with silence. She frowned, what was she missing? 

Sensing her frustration, Link reached over and tapped a box labeled ‘enter’.

“ _ Hello _ ,”

She gasped, a smile on her face as Link waved from his seat, “ _ Hello _ .”

But then Zelda frowned, _ “Why did you wait until now to tell me?” _

Link held up a finger to postpone her question, waving the servant over. Two boxes were placed on the table that Zelda recognized as some of the gifts Link had set aside to be opened later. She unwrapped the package closest to her while he did the same across the table. Inside the boxes was a snowquill headdress that she had seen on the rare Rito visitor to the castle. 

Although, on a closer inspection, there was a small diamond shape with the same texture of the slate’s screen dangling from the lower part of the crescent that went behind the ear, though this had a soft orange glow about it. Link had a similar version, though his headdress had a slightly different coloring, a deep green contrasting with her soft blue. She watched as Link tucked the headdress behind his ear and squeezed the hanging diamond between his fingers. After a beat a soft chime sounded and the orange glow turned blue. Zelda imitated him, hearing the chime in her own ear before asking, “What are these?”

Her husband answered in his own language, using words she wasn’t familiar with. It didn’t matter though, as soon after he began his explanation a stream of Hylian sounded from the diamond hanging from her ear.

“Master translators,” he said, speaking low enough to allow Zelda to focus on the voice coming from the headdress, “they were developed for Rito postmen and merchants, but they’ve been quite popular with travelers visiting different regions.”

“I’m surprised you managed a meaningful relationship with the Rito,” Zelda commented, distracted by the slate again, pressing a button to the side brought up a menu with various different options. She couldn’t read some of them, but she recognized the Zonai word for ‘messages’ and ‘calendar’. She tapped on ‘map’, resulting in the screen shifting to a picture of the coast. There was an arrow on the screen moving away from the icon for Lurelin village that she deduced indicated their location.

“That’s another thing I wanted to talk to you about,” Link continued, “The reason I waited to talk to you was because I lacked the words in your language to describe it, and I couldn’t show you until now because most of our tech is forbidden in Lurelin and the surrounding territory.”

“Why?” Zelda was completely at a loss, dumbfounded by these devices and the implications of their existence.

“The Zonai have no desire to go to war,” Link explained, rubbing the back of his neck, “So we may have cultivated some . . . misconceptions regarding our relationships with the other races.”

Zelda didn’t ask him to clarify. She didn’t need to. While she fiddled with the screen she managed to zoom out to the entire continent. It was very similar to the map hanging in her uncle’s study, but it painted a very different picture. She could see the familiar silhouette of Hyrule highlighted in purple, a solitary nation surrounded by a sea of green.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Zelda might have had tutors to learn her spouse's language, but Link has the Duolingo owl.


	5. Homecoming

“How did this happen?” she asked, setting the slate down to look at her husband. He looked sheepish.

“It didn’t happen overnight,” Link explained, “After the Sheikah were banished from the Kingdom of Hyrule they came to us for protection after their own military forces were lost, and the other races opted for their own independence. That much is true, and it was for centuries after. The Sheikah don’t really have a desire for leading outside of their own people, so as long as the Zonai reinforced their borders and funded their research they were content to share the fruits of their knowledge. 

“We’ve always believed in extending a hand in aid where we could, so on the occasions that the other races reached out for help, we’ve been the first to respond. We built the dam in Zora’s domain and we killed the Lynels haunting the Rito snowfields. When the Gerudo canyon collapsed we’re the ones that cleared the rubble to let them travel safely once again. Bit by bit the other races began to see the benefits of being a unified nation again, so we expanded the railways, the Sheikah streamlined communications, new Wardens were named, and we came whole again.”

“Not completely,” Zelda interjected, oddly defensive. She felt Noodle’s nose bump into her chin, perhaps in response to her racing pulse.

“Not completely,” Link agreed, “But it was a king on Hylia’s throne that fractured the continent in the first place, and the Sheikah have long memories. Even with the countless records locked away, they knew it wasn’t the first time they had been made to vacate Hyrule, so they advised us to keep the royal family in the dark and wait.”

“For what?” Zelda asked. He looked in her eyes.

“For the right Queen.”

Fat chance of that one, considering her uncle sat on the throne and she was the Hollow Daughter of Hylia.

“Tell me more about the Wardens,” Zelda said, uncomfortable at the implied expectation.

Link scooted over, taking the slate in his hand he fiddled with the map settings until Zelda watched the borders she was familiar with reappear. Noodle uncoiled from her spot on Zelda’s wrist to sniff at the screen, her snout tapping on the small region north of Mount Lanayru, if that was indeed it’s name and not another lie told to her people. A box appeared with white text.

_ The Wellspring _

_ Warden: Dorephan [Contact] _

_ Rising Warden: Mipha [Contact] _

“Each region is governed by a Warden,” Link explained, his breath tickling her ear and his arm slipping around her waist, “Dorephan is the current Warden of the Wellspring, but he gave his notice of retirement last year, so Mipha, his successor is carrying out the majority of his duties until she slays a great beast and takes over his position completely.”

Zelda tapped the harbor their icon was inching towards, highlighting the region that Zelda originally thought to be the entire Zonai nation.

_ Dragonlands _

_ Warden: Link _

_ Rising Mother: Zelda Lana Hyrule [Contact] _

Zelda noticed that the word ‘contact’ was written in green. Curious, she tapped it, expecting the screen to change. Instead there was a chiming from her headdress. Zelda tensed up. Link gave a little chuckle before pinching her translator between his fingers for a moment.

“What was that?” Zelda asked, but he only held up his finger again, shooting her a wink as he got up and left the the observation deck

“ _ Can you hear me _ ?”

Zelda flinched, startled. Her husband’s voice had replaced the mechanical words from her translator.

“Yes,” she responded, walking to the window to see her husband walking into view below. In her ear she could hear the sea breeze until his voice returned.

“ _ A secondary function, though a recent one _ ,” Link said, waving up at her.

Zelda looked at the slate again.

“Why can’t I call you?” she asked, noting the option to contact didn’t appear next to her husband’s name.

“That’s my personal slate, _ it would be like writing a letter to myself. _ ”

He began walking up the stairs, and she could hear his footsteps, which was a bit disorienting without a stair in sight. They spent the rest of the trip eating their lunch while Link explained the basic functions of a Sheikah Slate. Zelda pressed an icon with a small blue circle, and a glowing blue orb appeared in her hands. Link mumbled something in Zonai that the Zelda’s translator interpreted as a string of curse words that had her ears burning. Link took the orb from her hands, chucked it through a window he’d opened before pressing the ‘cancel’ button right next to the one labeled ‘detonate’.

“That was an explosive,” he said by way of explanation. Zelda’s eyes widened.

“Does everyone else on the continent have access to explosives?” she asked, alarmed. Link shook his head with a laugh.

“Farore above, no. The slates given to Wardens and have greater capabilities than most citizens’. Standard issue slates are much more limited. Identification, communications, and finances only.”

“What does it mean by ‘Rising Mother?” Zelda asked, now holding the slate at arm’s length.

“Being my wife makes you the Mother of the Dragonlands, but since you haven’t officially accepted the title you’re listed as ‘Rising’.”

“How do I accept it?” she asked, Link smiled, bright and relieved. 

“I’ll show you when we get home.”

She liked that sentence because of the assumption. There was a warm undertone to the flippant reminder that she had a home here. She was in a foriegn country that wasn’t at all like she imagined, but she had a place set aside for her. It was enough to banish the dissatisfaction of her question going unanswered and allowed her to walk hand in hand with her husband with a spring in her step. As they descended onto the dock, she couldn’t help but notice that it was pretty deserted, though she did see a large building at the top of a large cliff. Link led them down into the sand. They came across a strange platform on the ground before Link placed his palm on a screen covered pedestal. After fiddling with the screen Link took out a vial of simmering red liquid she recognized as an elixir and pressed it into her hand. She drank it, savoring the kick that she recognized as a spicy elixir. Link watched as she swallowed it.

“How did I do?” he asked, brow raised. She took another sip.

“It’s a tad overdone,” she admitted, “but effective,”

He nodded, satisfied with her answer. She shook out her limbs, the heat spreading to her fingers and toes like a fever.

“It’s a little warm for a spicy elixir, isn’t it?” she asked, quizzical. He winked at her, resting a palm against the blank screen. After a blue line ran up and down the pedestal chimed and the world faded away.

The world returned in slices, descending bit by bit to create a small alcove tucked in the corner of a much larger room filled with plush chairs and couches facing a strange black rectangle set upon a table. Despite the questions burning through her mind, she found herself transfixed by the opposite wall. Rather than the intricate stonework that made up the majority of the room, the wall they walked along had an almost translucent, iridescent quality to it, orange light shining through that mimicked the sunset outside. She pressed a hand to it and dragged her palm alon its smooth, chilled surface, her breath coming out in clouds in front of her. Link showed her a large glass box filled with vegetation and a lamp which, in a notable departure from the standard blue light fixtures around the room, shone with a warm yellow light.

“For Noodle,” Link said by way of explanation, opening the box.

Zelda beamed from ear to ear, reaching into the terrarium to let the serpent climb onto one of the winding branches. She could have sworn she saw some of the blue scales glow, but it was probably a trick of the light.

“ _ Say  _ Noodle _ again _ ,” she said, tucking her hand into his elbow.

“ _ Why _ ?”

“ _ Because it sounds cute in your accent _ ,” she admitted, cheeks flushing slightly.

He gave her a quizzical look but nonetheless obliged her, “Noodle.”

She giggled, rubbing her cheek against his shoulder as they walked down the hall to a larger, yet somehow more intimate room.

Zelda stepped forward and turned to examine their bedroom. The walls were carved in hundreds of illustrations of plant and animal life alike, each shape crafted with a myriad of stones that must have been gathered from all corners of Hyrule. A fox made from the rich Eldin rock, wolves shaped from the cool blue of Upland Zora, and pigeons carved from Necluda stone. The lush scenes of the wild were dominated by sprawling depictions of dragons lording over it all. She recognized the serpent she glimpsed on their wedding day coiled protectively over their bed which, while lower to the floor than her own, was far wider than any bed she’d ever scene and stacked with silks and cushions. 

After the stress of the day, Zelda was ready to lie down, but her husband had other ideas, taking her hand and pulling her to the corner on her left, where another dragon curled around a bath that looked far too big for just the two of them. Nevertheless, Zelda followed him gratefully, glad that at least one of her preconceived notions of the Zonai held true.

Owlan had told her the Zonai viewed baths an intimate affair, which she had understood. The difference lay in that married couples were supposed to bathe together, and often. This practice was apparently so common that newlyweds were not considered fully united until they blessed their marital home with a bath. Thus, when Link’s hands began to unravel the cloth around her chest, she made no comment, only moving to undo his belt.

When they were both stripped down they stepped over the lip of the massive tub. Link took the lead as the welcoming spouse, turning her around so he could run his hands down her back. Despite the spicy elixir having a good deal of time before it wore off, the water felt cool. Not enough to feel uncomfortable, but impossible to ignore. If her elixir couldn’t hold off the chill, she wondered how frigid it must be. Zelda was dissuaded from asking questions by Link’s touch, warm and steady as they started to rub soap into her back. She sighed and felt her head roll to one side. Zelda let her gaze rest on the luminescent stone of the second dragon. Unlike Farosh, the horn of this creature almost resembled a crown, spikes pointing away from the creature’s face. 

“ _ I saw Farosh on our wedding day _ ,” Zelda said idly, her shoulders easing under his touch. He hummed and started to work on her arms.

“The gods approve of our marriage.”

This intimacy in the water was softer than what they shared in their honeymoon, but no less potent. Perhaps this gentle caress was one of the unsung sides of love, often overlooked for that wildfire lust that overtook them so many times. And yet, as Zelda grew warmer under his ministrations a deep sense of peace took root, easing away the emotional strain of the day’s revelations. For all the deceit revealed to her, his growing affection for her felt genuine. 

Link pulled her to rest against his chest so he could reach around to her stomach. When she relaxed and let her arms rest back in the water it became clear that the heat wasn’t just from his embrace but from the bath, once so cold it broke through her elixir’s protection.

“What happened to the water?” she asked, dragging a hand through the bathwater. It was heated as a hot spring. “Zonai leaders have always drawn strength from the land, wielding magic both consciously and instinctively.” he explained, washing and rinsing her hair, “This flow is strongest in the springs and other sacred sights, giving us enough protection to render even the harshest weather mild.”

Link turned her around to look her in the eyes as he took her leg into his lap, “We swore to each other before our people,” he explained, massaging her calf as he spoke, “we’ve proven this union to one another in our bed. But only here, alone in holy water atop a sacred mountain, do we verify our marriage before the gods. You are Mother of the Dragonlands, and now all the spirits watching over us recognize you as such, and give their power freely.”

Zelda smiled, security pulsing steady in her chest. The feeling was compounded by small, swirling clusters of energy she could now feel brushing against her skin and shielding her from the unrelenting cold of her new home. After pressing a quick kiss to his lips she urged him to turn around. Relishing in the heated water, she took the cloth from the lip of the tub and lathered it in soap so she could start to scrub his back and arms. She traced some of the paint on his bicep before wiping it off.

“What do the markings mean?” she asked. She had watched him apply the paint several times since their wedding, though never as much as he did the night itself.

“It’s less about design and more about location,” he answered, “The paint makes us stronger. We use it to stimulate the muscles we use most in battle.”

She rubbed his other arm clean before moving on to his chest. He smiled lazily, resting his hands on her hips, his thumbs circling idly.

“How’s it made?” 

“I’ll send you the recipe.”

Zelda raised a brow, “Just one?”

“The only one that works.”

Now that was an intriguing prospect. Alas, it would have to wait for another day, as Zelda started to yawn when washing his legs and feet and her eyes had started to close on their own accord when they dried off on the steps leading up to the tub. She heard Link give a low chuckle as he pulled the towel from her hands and began to rub the moisture out of her hair, massaging her scalp in the process. His touch put her at so much ease that she ended up dozing off with her face resting against his thigh. Zelda only stirred when he did, sliding off the lip of the tub to take her in his arms. She didn’t open her eyes when she was rocked in his arms as he crossed the room. She felt the cool, smooth sheet covering the bed before it dipped to accommodate her husband’s weight. Zelda reached for him blindly and was rewarded by his arms wrapping behind her back, pressing their bare chests together. She felt Link’s lips on her forehead.

“Goodnight,” he whispered into her hair. She nuzzled his shoulder and kissed what felt like his collarbone.

“ _ Goodnight _ .”

**Author's Note:**

> Link’s arranged marriage checklist:  
> -A knife  
> -Hypoallergenic travel sized friend  
> -Flowers


End file.
